News of the Day: Dolphins Use Tools

Transcript

NARRATOR:

Over the course of human evolution, mankind began using tools for hunting and gathering. Well, step aside Homo sapien, another mammal uses tools as well. And this one’s not in the jungle, but the ocean!

In Shark Bay Australia, scientists have found Dolphins using tools to find food.

Wow, flipping out yet?

These bottlenose dolphins have been observed covering their beaks with basket sponges torn from the seafloor as they forage for food. This tool helps them uncover fish hiding in the sandy sea bottom, and protects their snouts from scrapes and stings.

Researchers say this behavior seems to be passed on from mother to daughter dolphin.

And if sponging isn’t enough to impress you, the Shark bay dolphins have also been spotted using conch shells to trap tasty fish, then shaking their catch into their mouths.

Guess their moms didn’t teach them manners!

Researchers are still studying all the reasons for these behavioral adaptations, but one thing is definitely clear: there are different tools for different porpoises.

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Fast Facts

After documenting dolphins' use of tools for fishing in 2005, scientists used DNA testing and found that mothers who used conchs passed on specific genetic traits to their daughters who also conched.

Scientists are still trying to figure out how the use of conchs developed. Was it a lucky discovery or did the dolphins use their advanced brains to figure out that conchs are useful for trapping or scooping up fish?

Fast forward to 2011, scientists have now documented dolphins "conching" in several different locations of dolphin populations. This leads scientists to believe that conching was probably discovered several times independently.